Members of the MLA Board

Minutes of MLA Board Meetings

Andrew Motion CBE

Andrew Motion has been Poet Laureate for the past 9 years. He was previously a Member of Arts Council England and Chair of the ACE Literature Panel, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Born in London and educated at Oxford University, Motion became a lecturer at Hull University (1976-1981), publishing his first collection of poetry in 1977. Since then, he has published several other volumes of poetry and biography, for which he has received the Somerset Maugham Award, the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Whitbread Prize for Biography. He was Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia from 1995-2003, when he was appointed Professor of Creative Writing at Royal Holloway College, University of London. He is a member of the Council of the ASA and a co-founder and co-director of the Poetry Archive, an online collection of historic and contemporary poets reading their own work.

Geoffrey Bond OBE

Geoffrey Bond is a Lawyer, Businessman and Broadcaster. Former Senior Partner of Law firm Ashton Bond Gigg specialising in corporate and heritage law, Broadcaster on radio and television with his own series on heritage for ITV in the 1980’s and an original expert on the Antiques Roadshow. Former Director of Central Independent Television Plc and former Chair of Impact Packaging Plc and other Companies, currently non-executive Director of the Charles Lawrence Group Plc. Present Chair of GEM (Group for Education in Museums) and the Papplewick Pumping Station Trust, Deputy Chair of the Museum of Law and the National Centre for Citizenship and the Law. Former Chair of Arts & Business East Midlands and a number of learned societies. Chair Bicentenary (2007) Cultural & Community Sectors Steering Group London. For many years Consul for Norway in the Midlands and founder of the City of London Bridge Ward Club Norwegian Business Scholars Trust and City of London representative of Seed Forum International. Past Master of a London Livery Company and a member of a number of City-related organisations. Sheriff of the City of London 2003/4. He has done extensive pro bono charity work mostly for heritage organisations. He has not undertaken any political activity in the last five years.

Sarah Carthew

Sarah Carthew is currently Director of Marketing, Communications and Development at the University of Westminster. She was previously Chief Executive of Richmond Music Trust, providing music education to the London Borough of Richmond. She was appointed to the board of EEMLAC in 2004, becoming Chair shortly afterwards. With twenty years’ experience in both local and national museums, she has held senior positions at both the V&A (2001 – 2005) and The British Museum (1995 – 2001). She has been vital in significantly increasing membership for both organisations while she developed and launched Young Friends of the British Museum with its associated programme of sleepovers, lectures and Sunday Clubs in 1999. She also has a wide range of charity experience, preparation and monitoring of budgets and is familiar with equal opportunities legislation. She has stood unsuccessfully in two local elections for the Labour Party during the last five years.

Alex Cunningham

Alex Cunningham started his career in journalism and now manages his own Communications, Public Relations and Web Design business alongside public service roles. Alex is the founding Chair of the Children’s Trust responsible for local authority and health services to young people in his Borough. He is a member of the Arts Council England North East and has chaired the MLA North East for three years. He has excellent experience of consulting on crisis management. He is a Labour Councillor at Stockton on Tees and lead member for Children and Young People.

Nicholas Dodd

Nicholas Dodd is the Chief Executive of Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust and lead Director of the Yorkshire Regional Museum Hub. The Trust is a not-for-profit management company and Charity that operates the City's museums on behalf of the Local Authority. He is the accounting officer and answerable to the Chairman and Board of Trustees. For six years until September 2006 he held a position as Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund/Heritage Lottery Fund. He is on the executive of VAGA and CLMG, a Board member of the Sheffield Culture Board and a member of the Museums Association. Prior to 2002 he was head of Arts and Museums for Wolverhampton City Council, and responsible for the development of the service for eight years. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

Yinnon Ezra MBE

Yinnon Ezra has been a local authority Chief Officer since 1990, and has a strong track record of finding innovative and radical solutions to delivering Cultural Services that engage with communities. As Director of Recreation and Heritage for Hampshire County Council his portfolio covers Arts, Tourism, Countryside, Museums and Archives, Libraries, Lifelong Learning and Sport. At Kent County Council his department was used as a Government pilot project for the ‘Future of Public Libraries’, now in Hampshire he is seeking to reinvent libraries, having pioneered the Discovery Centre concept which was awarded Cultural Pathfinder status. Yinnon has a history of encouraging practical solutions by breaking down barriers between professionals and encouraging cross-working. He is also an adviser to the Local Government Association on Tourism and Cultural issues. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

Helen Forde

Helen Forde is an archivist with regional, national and international experience. She is the current chair of MLA East Midlands, and was chair of the Museums, Library and Archives Expert Panel at the Heritage Lottery Fund (2002 – 2005). She trained at Liverpool University and worked at the National Archives from 1979 – 2001. She has also taken on numerous consultancies within and outside of the UK, including ICA, the UN, WHO, UNESCO and the British Council. She has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

John Hicks

John Hicks is a partner in Kentwood Associates, a consultancy working in the cultural and heritage sectors. Over the past five years he has worked with some 40 library, museum and archive services in the UK and overseas, specialising in vision mapping and organisational change. A former librarian, he became a corporate manager with the former Berkshire County Council, concluding his career there as Head of the Paid Service. He has been a member of the Board of MLA SE for the past four years and its Chair for the last three. He is a previous Chair of the Advisory Council on Libraries and a trustee of the LASER Foundation. He is an experienced speaker at conferences and seminars on cultural issues and public library management, both here and abroad. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

Sir Geoffrey Holland

Sir Geoffrey Holland currently chairs the Government’s Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning. He was Vice Chancellor of the University of Exeter from 1994 to 2002 and before that Permanent Secretary successively of the Department of Employment and the Department for Education. He chaired the Government Advisory Panel on Education for Sustainable Development (1998-2004). He was a Member of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education (1996-7) and first Chair of the South West Museums Libraries and Archives Council from 2002. He is a non-executive Director of Limia Investment Group PLC. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

Glen Lawes

Glen Lawes recently retired from the post of Chief Executive of one of Britain's leading independent museums. His career spanned H.M. Diplomatic Service and general management with British Petroleum; he has successfully managed businesses with a multi-million pound turnover and opened up new opportunities in demanding circumstances in the UK and overseas. Recent achievements include the substantial renewal and expansion of the ten Ironbridge Gorge Museums; raising over £17 million of Lottery and other funds. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

Professor Sara Selwood

Professor Sara Selwood is a cultural analyst. She is currently head of the Department of Cultural Policy and Management at The City University, London, and was previously principal lecturer and Quentin Hogg Research Fellow at the University of Westminster. Prior to that she was head of the cultural programme at the Policy Studies Institute, and director of Art & Society and the AIR Gallery in London. Sara has sat on numerous committees and steering groups and is currently a trustee of the National Portrait Gallery and on the board of Arts Research Digest. She is also a regular contributor to the media. She has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

John Tarrant

John Tarrant has worked mainly in academia, holding a number of posts at high level in a variety of institutions mainly involved with geography and environmental sciences. He is currently Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield. John has expressed respect for and an in-depth understanding of the MLA and is very aware of the wider implications through his involvement with a variety of universities. He has been involved with a number of international committees and also has some good private sector experience. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.

Robert Wand

Robert Wand recently retired but was, until 1998, County Librarian of Lancashire when he was appointed as Director of Lifelong Learning and Cultural Services for Lancashire County Council. Much of his career has been concerned with the management of public libraries and museums for large Local Authorities, but he has also worked closely within Arts and Education to develop services to young people. He has not undertaken any political activity during the last five years.